Election 2026: Balkcom, Walsh on ballots, ready for campaign sprint

The choice of Balkcom was made by the Republican executive committee for the 11th Congressional District on Monday of last week. Walsh got the nod on Thursday from the executive committee of the Henderson County Republican Party.

State Sens. Kevin Corbin of Macon County and Tim Moffitt of Henderson County were early leading candidates along with Balkcom to succeed Edwards on the ballot. Balkcom immediately supported Moffitt. Then Corbin and Moffitt each withdrew from consideration before the Aug. 10 meeting that cemented Balkcom’s candidacy.

She’s hardly a consolation pick.

“I’ve learned throughout my life that when you community needs you, you don’t sit on the sidelines; you step up,” the two-term representative said. “Western North Carolina needs a strong voice right now. Our communities are still rebuilding from Hurricane Helene. Our farmers, families, and small businesses need someone who understands them. And too often, Washington simply doesn’t understand the people, values and challenges of our mountains.”

She said of her home turf, “My roots run deep in these mountains, and the people, values and way of life are woven into every part of who I am. Serving the people of western North Carolina in the state House has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Walsh endorsed Balkcom ahead of her selection earlier in the week, then three nights later learned she’d be on the campaign trail as well. She’s done it before – running for Hendersonville City Council in 2021 and against Balkcom for the House of Representatives in 2022.

“This is going to be ours to win,” Walsh told the Hendersonville Lightning. “With a shortened amount of time, I think name ID is very important. I think we will be OK.”

The dominos in this cycle began to fall with Edwards’ conduct involving staffers cited in a U.S. House of Representatives ethics committee report. The analysis was released Aug. 4, and about 3:30 a.m. the next morning he took to social media posting a withdrawal from his reelection campaign and a vow to finish his term.

The committee’s recommendation is for a formal censure in the well of the chamber when the body returns from August recess.

Considered a district drawn to produce a Republican winner, as it has for seven cycles, the 11th is now considered fully in play for a seat flip by Democrats. Jamie Ager is their candidate, and his fiscal foundation was already greatly outpacing Edwards.

The seat is pivotal to majority power in the U.S. House. Republicans' 220-215 edge won in November 2024 is today 218-212 with one independent formerly Republican caucusing with his former party, and four vacancies.

The Republican representatives since Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler won in 2010 have left a trio of reputational bruises and black eyes. Rep. Mark Meadows won the next four elections after Shuler and rose to White House chief of staff for the first term of Donald Trump, though he eventually became mired in racketeering charges in Georgia tied to the 2020 election and conspiracy, fraud and forgery charges in Arizona also tied to the 2020 election.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s one term succeeding Meadows made him, at 25, the first person born in the 1990s to reach Congress. He left after one term dragging traffic infractions, airport gun citations, accusations tied to a social media post involving Adolf Hitler, and yet another social media post after losing to Edwards saying it was “time for Dark MAGA to truly take command.”